I’m home from the retreat! What a great time I had with some very amazing quilting friends!
I did manage to get this quilt totally quilted and bound. It’s big, it’s heavy and I won’t be taking a pic of the full quilt until it’s washed and hanging on the line. I spent most of the whole retreat quilting this. The backing turned out to be a brushed cotton / flannel and it was a challenge to manipulate it through the machine.
I’ve had several inquiries about the pattern for this quilt:
You can find the pattern HERE. Please beware that the fabric requirements have an error in them. Where it says 4 strips 2” x 42” for binding This is actually for the border. You need the same amount for the border.
This is a picture of some of the quilts done by the group. I know that there were at least 2 more that were finished but didn’t show up for the guild “Show & Tell.”
This picture was taken by our wonderful guild photographer, Irene Hamilton. I blotted out the faces because I did not have permission to post pictures of the individuals.
I’m leaving this morning for a retreat! Here is an early morning picture taken last year from one of the bedrooms at “Over the Rainbow Lodge” on Camano Island.
I’m going to be sewing with friends from British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and California. A true west-coast group of ladies.
Sew … I’m planning on working on lots of my UFO projects …
I may take one new project to work on … Dr. Suess quilt, a bag, or something using some fat quarters or a layer cake or ??? (hmm that’s more than one) … but I wouldn’t want to run out of projects, would I? And, I am going for a week!
Week 2 is in progress. If you hopped to all the blogs last week, I’m sure that you saw lots and lots of wonderful eye candy. I promise that you will see more again this week.
Here are the list of blogs to hop around this week:
Yes, I know I mentioned at the beginning of this post that there are give-aways available. You will get an entry for each blog comment you leave. The hosts use a tool called a “Rafflecopter” for choosing the winners of the give-aways. So visit one of the following co-host’s blogs and enter to WIN!!! The sponsors are in the picture below the list of blogs.
Tish is the wonder-gal that designed the logo below with all of the give-aways that are happening.
Yesterday, I taught a guild workshop “Scrappy Irish Chain.” Based on this quilt:
A friend saw a quilt that I had made in 2007 on my Facebook page. She asked if I had the pattern. I couldn’t find the pattern any where. I looked through all my files – both paper and on the computer.
I have made at least 5 quilts using this pattern. This was when I was first getting back into quilting. It is easy to pick 3 co-ordinating fabrics, the blocks are big and go together easily. Continue reading
This is my 2nd year participating in the “New Quilter’s Blog Hop.” I’ve learned LOTS about blogging, making changes and adding things.
There are 32 participants in the Blog Hop and we are divided into 4 different weeks for presenting out blogs. Each person in the group suggested names and logos for the group. The name “In Stitches” was chosen and the logo is
Yeah! I quilted this quilt with a simple “loop-d-loop” and had most of the binding done before I taught “Sewing binding on by Machine” at a guild function. You can see my tutorial HERE. Many were surprised with my “don’t iron the binding in half” and clipping the corners. One gal who finished quilting her quilt, added the binding to her quilt – without ironing it in half: she was a happy camper or should I say a happy “quilter.” I then had to giggle when she apologized for wanting to sew the binding on by hand … that’s perfectly OK!
This quilt is a free pattern from Quiltville.com. Scroll down to “Scrappy Bargello.” I made this with 2 ½” strips. Continue reading
I was asked to learn to use the Double Mitre Ruler. I struggled with the directions. It said, “fabric right side together.” So I assumed that you used both fabrics together. Well, you know what they say about assumptions. I was totally wrong. So, I went to You-tube … there is a link HERE that demonstrates it nicely. The outside makes a frame and you slip the centre part into the frame. Once I understood that, it was easy peasy! Continue reading
Remember, I said I was going to play with these left-over blocks from the Orca Bay Quilt?
I made 3 zipper bags with the left-over blocks from Orca Bay. It was a project I started this year and I finished it this year! They didn’t turn into UFOs!
Yes! I have half of my UFOs completed! whoo hoo!!! Yes!
I finished the binding on this quilt on Friday! It sure helps to have concentrated time to just work on one project!
You’ve seen snippets of this quilt, but not the whole thing. It’s not a great picture … I usually prefer to take pictures of my quilts hanging on the clothesline. The sun came out for a brief moment after the binding was finished. When I figured the patio was dry, I took this outside and got a quick picture.
Yes, the quilt I’ve been quilting on for ages and ages is now completely quilted. Just the binding to go and I’ve started putting the binding. I was hoping that it would be finished before this post went live, but alas, it’s not. Maybe today, I might just “get ‘er done!” Hopefully, I’ll be able to get a picture of the whole quilt by Sunday. The forecast is for rain, rain, rain … so if there is a break, I’ll get a picture.
I need a new project to start! I do! I do! I really do! Honestly, I do!
I’m tired of quilting this one quilt … it’s almost done, but I’m tired of it! I refuse to start quilting another quilt until this one is done done done!
SEW … there are the left-over blocks from my Orca Bay quilt. Yes, these ones in the picture … I don’t want them hanging around for ages … having to move them and wondering what do do with them. So I have a plan … we’ll see if it gets done! Continue reading
Did you know there is an Australian blog called “Clever Chameleon Quilting?” Well, you need to go take a look around!
One thing that caught my eye … and perhaps my heart … was the 2018 Beary Colourful BOM. These bears remind me a bit of the Care Bears that were around when my kids were little. (Yup, I’m OLD!) But these bears are so very stinking cute! They may even change my mind about doing “crap-lique.” If you know me at all – appliqué is not a favourite of mine – thus “crap-lique.” This month’s bear is orange.
Easter is more than Easter Eggs and bunny rabbits. It is a time of celebration. Of the life we have been given. Eternal life.
I truly hope that you can spend the day with your loved ones or with your beloved sewing machine. Or maybe both! Continue reading
My Stats for March are a bit disappointing. But that’s OK. I’ve only completed one quilt this month …
I did think about pulling out a project or 2 that are closer to completion, but I wanted to stay focused on what I’m actually working on.
Sew, I’m actually OK with my numbers! Really, I am!
I was finally able to sit down and do a bit of quilting … I’ve only got a small portion of this queen sized quilt done … but I’m liking it so far!
This past week has been busy with company and working. Sew, there has been very little sewing going on.
I did manage to get one quilt sandwiched … a small one one the left! This quilt was started at a retreat at Over the Rainbow Lodge on Camino Island last year.
My design wall now has a secret project on it. I can show you the material for the back. And no, the picture does not give the true colour! I told you, it’s a secret project – so you won’t be able to see it until May. It is a UFO that is for a secret exchange … I can tell you that it will be a table runner and the theme is winter.
Orca Bay has all the borders on it!
One of the blogs I follow (Home Sewn By Us) had a post about Bargello quilts. She has links to a few free patterns. And a picture of a pretty awesome one in blues. You can see that post HERE. The table runner pattern is CUTE … but I’m resisting … or at least trying to.
I have made a few bargello quilts using Bonnie Hunter’s Scrappy Bargello free pattern. The first one I made using Bonnie’s pattern has a controlled colour pallet of fall colours. It was a lot of fun to make! And, I must admit, it looks pretty nice on a bed in a log home!
Yes, this could definitely be me. Since I’m not a perfect quilter … never have been, never will be … this could have been me with my quilting friends!
When I was first learning to quilt – before we had rotary cutters, we tore our fabric into strips to make Log Cabin – Quilt in a Day – as per Eleanor Burns instructions back in the day. And you know what happens to torn strips! They stretch and are not nice and straight on the edges … so you learn to fudge. I still fudge!
One of the pieced borders is on. I had my husband and daughter vote on which red to use in the border. Do you know which one was chosen? Which would you choose?
They both went with the bottom red. I’ve got it cut out.
SEW – 3 more pieced borders to sew on … 4 red borders … and 4 black borders and it will be a flimsy. SEW – a total of 11 more seams!
FINALLY: light at the end of the tunnel! And a finished flimsy will be born!
Yes, a labour of love … in this case, a long labour!
I have organized my Bonnie Hunter Pinterest board by quilt names. Whew … I KNOW Bonnie has made a LOT of quilts – but when I started organizing them by name, I was, again, blown away. You can visit my Pinterest board HERE.
To see what other’s in the quilting world are working on – click on the following links:
Quilting Gail 